The invention relates to a manual firing device and, more particularly, to a projectile launcher having a handle, a propellant charge preferably subdivided and ignitable, and a projectile which can be ejected by the charge, the projectile having a relatively high weight as compared to the other parts of the device.
It has recently become possible, particularly as a result of previously unpublished proposals of subdividing the propellant charge of a manually operated firing device, to fire projectiles of a considerable weight for relatively large distances, e.g., up to a maximum of 120m. (See for example U.S. application Ser. No. 429,738, filed Jan. 2, 1974 and assigned to the assignee of this invention.) In this case, we are dealing generally with projectiles having a fog or smoke producing charge.
In view of the above-mentioned increased range, it would also be desirable to fire projectiles having an incendiary charge. However, in that case difficulties result. The incendiary projectile should ignite when striking a hard object. On the other hand, it should disintegrate automatically in the air after a certain time of flight. At the same time, one cannot use the usual disintegrating fuse ignitors, e.g., clockwork fuses and percussion fuses, for reasons of economy and weight. To this must be added that the incendiary charge of the projectile must be ignited shortly after the discharge in order to guarantee that the incendiary projectile will have its full incendiary effect even in the case of the shortest striking distances, e.g., a target distance of 8 m.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an incendiary projectile launcher which minimizes problems of this sort.
It is another object of the invention to create a manual firing device of the initially mentioned type for launching an incendiary projectile, wherein the incendiary projectile has a relatively large range, will disintegrate automatically after a predetermined flight time, or as a result of the force of target impact, and which in all cases even in the case of the shortest striking distance will guarantee a perfect ignition of the incendiary charge and which nevertheless can be produced simply in its structure and relatively cheaply.